Zack: Ladies and gentlemen, meet the album that started it all. You see, after we found the list, we were thinking about working out way through it. I wouldn’t say it was set in stone that we’d actually do it, though, and we hadn’t planned any method of recording reactions. At the time, I was on a major Nas kick (I get into that zone every once in a while) and I was thinking about how amazing Illmatic is and how Emily wouldn’t be able to appreciate it. From there, I somehow got into the idea of starting a blog. Basically, I figured that if we were writing about it, she would be forced to really think about what she had heard. Since Nas is so crazy deep, I thought this would make her start to contemplate the music to the point that it would transcend “I don’t like hip-hop.” She agreed and here we are now. And, you’ll never guess this, but I kind of think she may like Illmatic. We’re not listening to it together and I’m a little ahead of her on our mini-list for break, so I don’t know what she’ll think. But my expectations are high. I’ve been really strategic in how I’ve selected hip-hop albums. In order, we’ve gone OutKast. Kanye, Fugees, Beastie Boys, Lupe Fiasco, Snoop Doggy Dogg (her idea, not mine), Common, Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force, Lauryn Hill, and A Tribe Called Quest. Basically, I’ve tried to focus within an intellectual sub-genre with catchy and smooth producing behind it. I’ve taken a few chances to push the envelope, especially more towards the old school stuff. I’ve also shown her stuff which blurs the lines between hip-hop and other genres, like funk and R&B. And so far, it’s worked pretty well. But now I’ve gone as far as I can go like that. Sure, I could hold off and listen to Jay-Z (a little edgier, but still right around the same land we’ve been inhabiting) or try Grandmaster Flash. But that would just be delaying the inevitable. The swimmies are coming off and she’s getting shoved into the deep end. She should be glad this is all I’m doing too. I’m pushing her off the ledge of the pool, but I could have kicked her from the high dive with something like Wu-Tang. This is manageable. He’s rapping with truly legendary skill that matches, if not exceeds, anything we’ve heard before. The only difference is that he’s rhyming about existing within all the “ghetto life” rather than how Lupe talks about overcoming it. Regardless, I’m anxious to hear/read what her thoughts were on one of my favorite hip-hop albums of all time. And to see if she was confused why Nas’s N.Y State of Mind didn’t have Alicia Keys.
Favorite Tracks: N.Y. State of Mind; One Love; Life’s a Bitch
Emily: Welcome to the next chapter of 1001 Reviews’ ongoing series, “Zack Strategically Picks Rap Albums from the List so Emily Can Come to Appreciate the Genre.” Okay, so maybe we need a catchier title, but that pretty much encapsulates one of our subsidiary goals for this blog and musical undertaking. For today’s edition, we come to Nas’ 1994 debut album, Illmatic, which Zack has deemed an integral next step in our foray through hip-hop and rap. It certainly piqued my curiosity about Nas and his approach to hip-hop. The production and beats are spare and minimalist, with a few jazz samples. This really allows the lyrics to become the focus of the album, chronicling Nas’ experience as an inner-city teenager in New York. Because the lyrics are so integral, I definitely think I need to re-listen to Illmatic to really understand its style and impact. There is still so much more I don’t know and don’t like about rap and hip-hop, but this stop on the journey is definitely pointing me in a more enlightened direction.
Favorite Tracks: The World is Yours; It Ain’t Hard to Tell; Memory Lane (Sittin’ in Da Park)
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